5+ Tips for More Effective Social Media & Email
Outreach to Increase Sales at Farmstands &
Farmers Markets
June 16, 2015
Presented by Pam Knights
Sponsored by the National eXtension Women
in Ag Learning Network & the UVM Extension Women's
Agricultural Network
TOUCH POINTS
1. Why & Purpose of Social Media
2. Consistent Branding Across all Platforms
3. Messaging & Posting Strategy
4. Photography
5. Facebook
6. Email Marketing
7. Building Your Online Community
8. Resources
THE WHY & PURPOSE OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA
1. Build online relationships & conversations
2. Build brand awareness & recognition
3. Generate interest that could lead to a sale
4. Get info out quickly- in real time
5. Share information across multiple networks
6. Engage with current & perspective customers
7. Inform & educate as well as entertain
8. Build an online community
9. Digitally market your business and the
products you offer
10. Goal of increasing customer base and
boosting sales
BRAND CONSISTENCY = BRAND RECOGNITION
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Logo
Color Palette
Tagline
Boiler plate description
Unique Selling Points
CONSISTENCY across all forms
of marketing communications
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
EMAIL CAMPAIGN HEADER
BRANDING YOUR PAGES
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Be unique, stand out amongst your competitors
• Think of the number of farms using same
sort of images, making it hard to distinguish
whose who!
Visually embed your brand in people’s minds
Saturation by number of consistent impressions
Digital design by a graphic designer
Design your own via https://www.canva.com
THE HOW – MESSAGE & STRATEGY
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Develop a week-by-week seasonal production & farm and market
activities calendar to guide content for posting
Take seasonal photos- build a library
Promote what’s in season and what’s coming in/up next
Share links to articles about the foods you grow and sell, new
varieties, food trends, healthy eating, sustainable farming & recipes
Promote events that support local food sales in your area
Introduce your staff, show off your farm location and products
Create and promote special offers specific to FB or email
Give growing, storage and cooking tips
Post entertaining food and farming cartoons
Recognize accomplishments of other farmers and industry leaders
Link to supporting pages on your website and/or other businesses
PHOTOGRAPHY
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Facebook is photo driven
Take photos with smart phone when
in fields and at markets for use “now”
and next season
Show people actively engaged with
your products, staff, markets
Ask permission to take and post
customer shots or take at an angle so
not recognizable
FB will resize photos. Upload less than
100 KB to timeline to avoid
compression. Use photo editing
programs.
Save photos and graphics as jpgs
FACEBOOK: Less about Marketing & Sales,
More about Conversations & Relationships
• Customize your Facebook URL
https://www.facebook.com/username
• If business name is taken could add state
abbreviation i.e.: /meadowbrookfarmvt
• Link to FB on your website and vice versa
• Post a minimum of 1-3 x a week
• Keep it short -100 to 250 characters
• Mix it up, limit to 30% self promotion
• Compose & schedule posts in advance
• Like & comment on related business pages
• Respond to comments on your page
EMAIL MARKETING
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Set up email management account – free with
http://mailchimp.com/. Must be able to unsubscribe.
Create list(s), i.e.: general, vendors, market
customers, CSA members, etc
Offer opt-in link on website & Facebook page
Customize email template with branded header for all
outgoing campaigns
In auto footer text: You are receiving this email
because you opted in on our website, Facebook page,
at an event or are or have been a farm customer.
Send out brief weekly or bi-weekly updates, special
offers for only email subscribers, include photos
RESOURCES
Vermont Harvest of the Month
http://www.vermontharvestofthemonth.org/
Initiative of Green Mountain Farm-to-School, Food
Connects & Vital Communities
Ready-to-go tools and resources to use and promote
local, seasonal foods.
• Free Monthly Harvest Posters
• Educator Sheet- history, health benefits, fun facts,
varieties, art projects, etc
• Home Sheet- recipes, cooking and storage tips
FREE RECIPES
Vermont Fresh: A Food & Vegetable Handbook
Produced by Salvation Farms & Sterling College for the
Vermont Foodbank
http://www.vtfoodbank.org/ForNetworkPartners/Verm
ontFresh.aspx
Free download for 40 fruits and vegetables, their
nutritional value, storage advice, preparation tips and
many recipes.
IN SUMMARY
• Develop and establish a solid brand and consistent
messaging
• Communicate it consistently over all forms of digital
and print marketing communications
• Engage customers by educating and exciting them
about your story and your products, let your
personality shine through
• Monitor and respond to comments, be courteous
• Like and comment on other food , garden & tourism
related pages to engage and build online community
• Stay top of mind- frequency is key, dedicate specified
time to be active on social media.
• This recorded presentation will be available at:
https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag